Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump said a deal has been reached to end the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Speaking at a joint briefing with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump described it as “a big big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the biggest days ever in civilization.”
Trump also thanked the Israeli prime minister for agreeing to the plan in Gaza.
“Today is a historic day for peace,” Trump said. “Let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.”
Trump also thanked the leaders of Arab and Muslim countries who played a key role in making the deal possible.
Trump said his plan would give the Palestinian people a chance to have that peace.
“I challenge the Palestinians to take responsibility for their destiny because that’s what we’re giving them. We’re giving them responsibility for their destiny,” he said.
Netanyahu, who thanked Trump for his continued support of Israel, said, “We are taking a critical step in ending the war in Gaza.”
According to Netanyahu, if Hamas agrees to the deal, Israel will gradually withdraw from Gaza. He however, added that if Hamas rejects the deal, Israel will ‘finish the job.’
Netanyahu said if Hamas doesn’t accept the plan or doesn’t comply, “then Israel will finish the job by itself. This could be done the easy way, or it could be done the hard way. But it will be done.”
Netanyahu also addressed the Doha air strike earlier this month and said that Hamas was the target and that it was not an attack on Qatar. Earlier, Netanyahu had spoken to the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and apologised to him for the air strike.
The White House also released Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.”
“Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours,” the proposal said.
“Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough,” it added.
“If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.”
“Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned,” it said.
“Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans,” it noted.
“Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.”
The agreement calls for “full aid” to be brought into Gaza “without interference from the two parties, through the United Nations and its agencies,” as well as the Red Crescent, and other parties unaffiliated with Hamas or Israel.
After the war, Gaza will be governed by an “apolitical Palestinian committee” that is “made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including former prime minister Tony Blair.”
The agreement said the body will govern Gaza, under the Palestinian Authority, which has completed reforms and is ready to govern the Strip.
“No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza,” it said.
